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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Well last pday we went to the ocean with one of our investigators. It was a pretty funny experience to say the least. Today we are going to see the rest of the mosaic museums.

Sorella Lemos and I are counselors for our young womens president because she never has served in this calling before. So we are helping her with everything. We are teaching her about personal progress and the other things that we do.

We are starting to teach the lessons each week for the young women.. Guess who is giving the lesson next week??

That is right I am. I am going to teach on the Resurrection next week.. So I am excited and a little bit nervous. So hopefully that will go well on Sunday. I have a couple of things that I have prepared for my lesson on sunday.

Last week for AMM (mutual activity for young men and young women) we taught them how to play volleyball because one of our anziani played volleyball in college. So that was a fun activity for the youth. We only have two young women right now but I am hoping that we can find some more that we can start teaching and invite to come to all of our activities.

We have to start playing nouvi inizi..or new beginnings because they have only been in young womens since january. So if anyone has ideas for that night.. that would be a huge help.

On sunday we had interviews with President Dibb and it was another very goof experience for me. I am so grateful for him and all that he does for us as missionaries.

We had district meeting that sunday in Rimini and Sorella Dibb did a role play with me because Sorella Lemos was being interviewed. It was so cute because she was so excited to do this role play with me. I feel very blessed to have the Dibb's here as my mission president and his sweet wife as well.

This last week I have felt sooo much love. For people, for the members, for my investigators, for the random people on the streets and it was such a neat experience. I now can recognize that this is one of the greatest blessings of being a missionary. The ability to love people and to feel Gods love for them. I am so grateful that I can feel God's love for each and everyone of his children even when they might be a little bit mean to us. It is a interesting thing to feel this overwelming love for these people. I love them so much even though I am from a completely different place them culturally and etc.

This morning I read in the Doctrine and Covenants 135 and it was a beautiful section that made me appreciate all that Joseph Smith did to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth. He gave his life for the church and he was martyred for what he believed. I am grateful for him because it helps me to realize how important it is for us to stand strong to what we belief and to defend our beliefs. It says, "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it....They lived for glory;they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age shall their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified." Doctrine and Covenants 135:3,6

I am so grateful for so many things. I am grateful that I have been able to feel God love this week to help me with the stresses of missionary work. I can't believe that tomorrow is my year mark as a missionary. Time has gone by soo so fast.

I am excited to work with the young women with their personal progress now.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Buona Pasqua tutti! This week we ate a lot of columbo this week because our english class students gave us them to eat. For easter we stayed at home and enjoyed our nice columbo and chocolate egg!

This week our genealogy class started! I am so excited. I hope that more people will come next week because it went very well. I hope that I will be able to understand how to look up my family names after this course as well.

This past week we found about three new investigators that we are very excited about. One of which is an artist, writer, professor for university, loves fashion and makeup. She is awesome. She is one of the coolest investigators that I have ever had. She reads from the Book of Mormon and prays. We are going to see the ocean with her today for pday and get gelato. On Easter she gave us Easter gifts which was hilarious. She gave me a shawl and an Italian romance novel..haha too good.

One of our investigators is in the hospital and we visit her everyday. One day she said to us, "Mi prendi?" and we thought that she meant to walk around the hospital but she meant to leave the hospital.. So she tried to escape from the hospital and as we were leaving that day. We learned that now we have to be specific with where we walk with her. hah We invited her to do a commitment and she has a hard time looking into peoples eyes. So I said " Guardami agli occhi"...So she looked into my eyes and then looked away. It is always entertaining.

Monday part of our district meeting was via telefono..which was pretty hilarious.

Sorry my brain is so scattered today. The work is moving forward here in Ravenna. We have some great potentials for investigators and I am pleased with that. Thank you for all of your prayers. I have truly felt them this past week.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Okay last Thursday I went to COMO. Yes I said it. I went back to como but just to pick up my permesso (to stay here in italy). That was truly a tender mercy. Plus that night an investigator that I had in como got baptized that night..glorious! It was a warm day in como and brought back the memories of the warm summer days there with the humidity..

I am soo blessed that I was able to serve there.

So blessed.

I am so excited to go back again someday with dad and walk down the streets together and talk about the streets we used to walk on and etc. It was a cool moment to just sit there and enjoy the moment.

Before we got to Como to pick up my permesso I was praying that I would be able to see someone. So we were walking through centro and all of the sudden I see this old Italian man. I remembered that I talked to him my last transfer in Como so I said hello to him.. and he said, "Do you remember me?" And I told him yes.. After I started to laugh a little bit because I thought to myself,"Heavenly Father has a wonderful sense of humor..because my prayer was answered, but it wasn't exactly what I expected.".. We had to spend the night with the sorelle in milano because we live so far away. So we went with the sorelle of milano to their corso d'inglese.

This was the greatest moment ever.

I saw someone I knew from como in the church! It was so great to see her and talk to her for a minute. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. At times it is not the timing that we want or the answer that we were hoping or expecting for, but I know that he answers even the smallest of prayers.

My bike is a little bit temper mental. We were to trying to leave somewhere one day and I tried to start my bike but the wheel didn't move.

It wasn't moving at all. But the somehow it starts to move..But then as I was about to start I see that the front wheel is not connected to the bike..The bolt on the wheel was broken.. I thought to myself," Perchè!? come mai?!"

So Sorella Lemos and I did the unthinkable..We took of my front bike wheel and put it on the back of sorella lemos's bike under the clamp..then we connected the front of my bike to the back of my companions bike and we started walking.. It was hilarious! I wish I would have had my camera that day. It seriously was a hilarious sight to see. So the anziani in our branch fixed my bike wheel. horray!

The next day was my birthday. I wokeup and sorella lemos made me breakfeat in bed and sang happy birthday to me.. It brought back all of the memories when mom would do that for me every birthday. Then we went to church! One of the greatest announcements was made.

WE ARE GOING TO BE A STAKE!!! PALO DI FIRENZE! Sorella Lemos just looked at eachother and almost started to cry! They will no longer be a district! This was one of the best birthday moments ever. After Presidente told us that will will probably become a ward soon and are going to find a new building for our church...WHAT!?

Literally this birthday just kept getting better and better...

We came to the church that night and our ramo mission leader and some of the members threw me a little surprise birthday party! It was so cute and so sweet! They made me food, a tiramisù with fresh strawberries on top, gave me some beautiful flowers from one of their gardens,a and we sang songs together.. Seriously it was the best birthday. They were so excited that it was my only birthday in Italy because I will always remember ti because of these wonderful members.

The anziani fixed my bike but the next day my front wheel was flat.. I think it has a hole in the wheel..haha

Questa bicicletta!

We passed by a man and woman that we met doing cas this past week and he gave us a tour or his museum that he has in his home of a man named Giuseppe Garibaldi.. The museum was two stories..And his wife has a broche collection. It was hilarious because before we left they kept giving us postcards, books, and knick knacks or this man so we could be the only people in america with these things from Italy! haha His wife gave us little broches as well. They were so adorable. I love Italians!

It was a good week besides the fact that we really don't have anyone to teach. I had a moment this past week where I realized that we are literally starting from scratch..I am exhausted. I am so tired. It is so hard to have a desire to go outside and try and find people to teach each and every single day. Please pray for me. I have just felt so much pressure these last few days with the huge change that we are becoming the stake of florence. I don't know why. I just feel pressured because we are opening for sisters right as this change is happening. It will be okay. hah I am doing good although the work is slow. I am hoping our family history class will help us to find some new investigators.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Ravenna is beautiful! It is this cute little city with soo much history. There is a lot of art, music, mosaic (sp?). It is wonderful. I am so happy to be here in this cute little city.

Guess who has a bike now? Me.

Actually it is really fun. I love it. I feel like a true Italian now riding my bike through centro Ravenna trying to dodge all of the classy Italians as I ride my bike.

My bike is ancient. It is red and vintage looking. Sorella Lemos and I named my bike Davide. The other day we were riding to an appointment riding through these beautiful trees. I felt like Maria in "The Sound of Music" when she is riding through the trees. Then all of the sudden my pedals were not moving...managgia... My little "sound of music moment" ended when I realized my bike wasn't working anymore. So we had to take my good old bike to the bike shop to get it repaired.. Hopefully Davide will be okay. We will see tonight! hah

Sorella Lemos:

She is from Argentina. She is hilarious. She cuts hair and does makeup. She plays the flute. She is a good cook. She learned both english and italian on her mission. She pretty much amazes me. I love her soo much. We are going to work very hard because we are opening Ravenna for sorelle for the first time ever, so we are going to work hard. We are doing some good member work and also a good amount of finding. It is going to be a good transfer. I hope that I can be with Sorella Lemos for more than one transfer because my last three companions I only was with them one transfer. So we shall see.

We went to Rimini yesterday for a zone training. Our zone is very small but it is good. It is nice to change this up a little bit.

In our area there are only branches instead of wards. So we are in what is called a district instead of a stake. They are hoping that by the end of this year they can become a stake, so we have to work very very hard.. It will be good.

I loved general conference. I loved how there were so many talks that were about defending our beliefs. Especially in these days when the world is constantly changing. This morning I read in the Old Testamnet the story of Potiphar's wife. I admire the courage of Joseph that he had to defend his standards. Not once but a couple of times. There are so many times today that we have to defend our beliefs in order to protect of beliefs. I also loved in Conference how many people talked about being disciples of Jesus Christ. It is so important in these days to follow the saviors example and help others to come unto him.

This week we had a very cool opportunity to help a new convert of a couple of months start her personal progress. That was such a special experience to realize how much progesso personale helped to prepare me for my mission. I am so grateful for this program because it truly inspired and I have seen the differenc that is has made in me.

Pesto pasta with little shrimps.. A new investigator made for us. So much pasta!. I wish I had a picture of how much they give to us to eat and how much they eat..It is pretty funny. You would all laugh.. poverina sorella

It has been a good week although it has been a little bit crazy. We are going to see some good miracles this transfer.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

I was so excited to get to know the members better and work with them more..but we got the call from the anziani..

They asked to talk to me.

I still thought all of this was a joke for april fools day.. They asked, "Do you want to know where you are going?"..I said,"okay".. They told me Ravenna....I said to them probably about 10 times, "You guys are all joking right?"...they told me that I was being transfered and that it wasnt a scherzo...

I felt sick to my stomach.. The reality of leaving Bergamo hurt. I love this city and the members! Two transfer here was too short. But I am excited to go to Ravenna.

Ravenna is south east....I have only been north!! I am nervous about the accent because it is going to be a whole new world in the south... My new companion will be Sorella Lemos who is from Argentina. She will be my first companion who is not from Utah. I am excited to work with her and I hope that she can help me to improve my Italian.

Also apparently the sorelle have only been in Ravenna for two weeks...So guess what that means?...

I am opening with Sorella Lemos in Ravenna! Mamma mia! It should be fun!

Also it is a branch over there, so that will be a different experience because I have only worked in wards before. I am excited and it feels right but I just sort of feel sick to my stomach. My brain is so scattered and there are so many things that I want to do, but there is just not enough time.

I am sad that I am leaving Bergamo before la conferenza generale, my birthday easter...everything! But I am grateful fo the time that I had here in Bergamo although it was short. I will miss the mountains, polenta, people speaking in bergamasco, the members, and so many other things. It is going to be a new adventure.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

-Matthew 11:28-30

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come."